


It Tastes Awful...And It Works!!

by shadesofpink



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Canadian Drug Company, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Not an Ad I Swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:27:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22194037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadesofpink/pseuds/shadesofpink
Summary: 5 Times Buck cured people with his Secret Potion and the 1 time Eddie found out what it was.
Relationships: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 26
Kudos: 294





	It Tastes Awful...And It Works!!

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a slogan for a brand that this story idea spawned from after seeing a commercial. 
> 
> Not sure how I feel about this story, would love some feedback!

**_i._ **

Buck was at the gym on a rare day off when his phone started blaring, a number he didn’t recognize flashing across the screen. He jumped off the elliptical, wiping his face as he slid the answer call button placing his phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello, am I speaking with Mr Buckley”

“Uh... yeah? Who is this?”

“My name is Andrea Watson, you’re listed as an emergency contact for Christopher Diaz, I’m calling from his school”

“What?! Is he okay? What happened to Chris?”

“Mr Buckley, he is fine, he is just coming down with a cold, we couldn’t get ahold of Mr. Diaz so we called you”

“Oh...I can come pick him up, give me 15 minutes to get there”

“We’ll see you soon Mr. Buckley”

Buck grabbed his bag from the locker room not bothering to shower or change before heading to pick up Christopher. He tried to call Eddie three or four times but it went straight to voicemail. He knew he had mentioned on his way out to take Christopher to school this morning that he had his department ordered therapy session this morning so he figured he must just be tied up there, remembering the strict cellphone rules in place at that office. He shot him a quick text as he pulled up to Christophers school letting him know what was happening and that he would take Christopher back to his place.

Buck walked into the school finding the front office quickly and locating Chris sitting waiting for him. He rushed over to hug the boy asking if he was okay.

“Okay Kid, what do you say, wanna go get some soup and head back to my place and watch something on Disney+?”

“Okay, Hey buck”

“Yeah Chris?” 

“Where’s my dad?”  
“Oh he just got caught up with some work stuff buddy, he’ll be home for lunch later if thats okay?”

“Sure”

The two of them stopped at a little cafe down the street from Bucks apartment and picked up some soup for Christopher and a sandwich each for Buck and Eddie, as well as a few cookies for later on. Buck got Christopher sat at the table and starting in on his soup when Eddie’s name flashed upon his phone screen. 

“Hey”

“Hey, how’s Christopher? Is he okay? I’m so sorry you had to get him, I’m on my way right now”

“Eddie, he’s fine, a little feverish and sniffly but he’ll be okay, and don’t even worry about it, you asked if I’d be his emergency contact and I said I would, I wasn’t doing anything anyway”

“Thank you...seriously thank you”

“It’s honestly fine dude, question though, are you cool if I give him something for his cold, I have something here I just you know....don't wanna give your kid drugs without asking you first”

“As long as it’s kid safe it’s fine Buck, remember that thing I told you after the tsunami? About trusting you with my kid? That includes your decision making. I appreciate you wanting to ask but you don’t have to ask to take care of my kid”

“Okay, I know, I just. I don’t want to overstep. Do you wanna talk to him, he’s here just eating soup”

“Sure, thanks”

Buck put the phone on speaker and slid it onto the table besides where Chris was spooning soup into his mouth. He let Eddie and Chris talk while he ran into his bathroom to grab the bottle containing the maroon liquid pushing it aside knowing he had the others somewhere in there. He found them close to the back, a blue and a pink bottle. He pulled them out checking the dates before closing the cabinet and heading back to the kitchen and shouting a goodbye to Eddie as Christoper hung up the phone.

“Okay Chris, Cherry or Grape?”

“....what is that?”

“It’s a secret potion that works magic for a cold like the one you have”

“Did you make it?”

“Did I make it?”

“Yeah”

“Not quite”

“Huh. Well. I want the blue one”

“Grape huh, that was always my favourite too”

Buck headed to the kitchen drawer to pull out a spoon before heading back towards Christopher, grabbing a piece of kitchen towel as he went. He tucked the kitchen towel into Chris’ soup soaked tshirt, cursing himself for not thinking to do it earlier and cracked open the child safe lid on the blue bottle.

“Okay Chris, once I pour this onto the spoon I need you to open your mouth real wide for me okay?”

Chris nodded.

“Can you show me?” Buck asked as Chris opened his mouth as wide as he could “Okay good”

Buck poured the syrupy concoction on to the spoon and Christopher opened up enough for him to get the spoon into his mouth before Chris closed around it, swallowing down the bright blue goop, only a little falling out and down his chin which Buck wiped up with the paper towel.

“How was that?” Buck laughed as Christopher licked his lips clean of the rest of the medicine.

“YUM”

“Told ya it was good didn’t I?”

“Uh huh”

Christopher finished his soup and the two of them made their way to the couch to pull up Disney+ and picking out the Lion King to watch. Buck covered them with a blanket and Christopher curled up to his side falling asleep almost instantly. Eddie was there within half an hour and Buck had texted to let himself in, not wanting to move and wake the sleeping child laying on him. Eddie sat down on the other side of Buck kissing the top of his head as he watched Christopher sleep. Before long it was getting late and Eddie decided he should get them home, Buck slowly stood up carrying Chris out to the truck. Buck ran back inside quickly before heading back to the truck where Eddie was finishing strapping Christopher in and handed him the bottle with the blue liquid, the label ripped off but covered with a sticky note with dosage amounts. Eddie eyed it suspiciously as Buck shrugged, leaning in to kiss Eddie goodbye.

The next morning Buck woke up to a text from Eddie

_Not sure what you gave Chris but he’s feeling miraculously better already_

Buck laughed before shooting back a You’re welcome text with a smirking emoji.

**ii.**

They were on their way to a call when Eddie started coughing. Just a little at first, but within a few seconds he was in a full on coughing fit. Full on eyes watering, cant breathe coughing fit. Hen reached under her seat pulling out a water bottle and tossing it his way before he cracked it open trying to sip it slowly but being interrupted by rogue coughs making him sputter as the rest of the crew looked on in concern, Bobby eying him in the rear view mirror. 

“You okay back there Diaz?”

“Yeah, sorry cap, i’m not sure what happened there”

“You coming down with something?” Chim questioned before shifting away from him jokingly.

“No. I don’t think so...” Eddie rolled his eyes.

Buck reached into his pocket pulling something out before passing it over to Eddie who looked back at him with confusion on his face. He unwrapped the lozenge Buck had placed in his hand and wearily placed it in his mouth nodding at Buck before the overwhelming taste of menthol took over, his face contorting as the sickly centre was exposed making Hen and Chim burst out laughing.

“So do you just always walk around with cough drops in your jacket or what?” Hen joked, stare pointed at Buck.

“You can never be too prepared” Buck laughed.

“For what? A coughing fit?” Chim jabbed

“Duh”

**_iii._ **

Buck had sneezed three times in the past ten minutes, and now he was coughing. Eddie wasn’t sure when he had started to look so pale and sickly, but it must’ve been sometime over the past ten hours of their shift. He sat on the couch in the fire house, a blanket pulled over himself, yet his body was shaking. Eddie could tell he was getting sick, but he knew Buck would never admit it to himself, let alone anyone else. He walked into the kitchen filling Bobby in on his suspicion who had agreed with him before walking over to Buck and throwing the back of his hand against his forehead - which was burning up. Bobby pulled the blanket off of Buck and pointed at the stairwell

“Home, let’s go”

“What...” Buck looked up in surprise “No, Bobby...I’m fine I swear”

“Buck you have a fever, you cant stop sneezing and you have the shakes, lets go, take the day, I’ll come by and check on you tomorrow” Eddie started.

“Okay, I’m going” Buck pushed himself up and grabbed his jacket before heading downstairs to the locker room to get his bag and head out. He waved at Bobby and Eddie watching him from the balcony as he headed to his car.

He let himself into his apartment and dumped his bag in the entryway before toeing off his shoes. He decided to take a shower quickly hoping the hot water would help steam out some of this cold he was battling. He threw on some sweats and went back into the bathroom to his medicine cabinet pulling out that purpley-red bottle he knew so well, twisting off the cap and taking a swig from the bottle, face contorting as the taste hit his tongue. He put the cap back on and took the bottle with him to bed where he put it on his bedside table before pulling back the covers and climbing in. The next morning he woke up to the weight of his bed shifting, a hand carding through his hair. He opened his eyes slowly to the man sitting on the side of his bed.

“Hey sleepy head” Buck laughed at Eddies dad voice, the one he usually reserves for Christopher.

“Hi” He mumbled, still waking up. “What are you doing here”

“Told you I’d come check up on you, see if you need anything before I head back to work”

They were interrupted by Bucks phone alarm which Eddie shut off quickly.

“You forget to turn that off?” Eddie pointed at his phone on the bedside table.

“No, I’m fine, I’m coming to work” Buck sat up slowly, eyes meeting Eddies.

“Babe, you have the flu, you’re not coming to work” Eddie said sympathetically

“No, I had the flu, I’m fine now, I promise”

“I mean you do sound a lot better” Eddie pressed his hand to Bucks forehead “And you don’t have a fever anymore” 

“I told you before, I don’t get sick, not really”

“Okay, but if Cap says you need to go home, you need to listen to him”

“Yes Dad” Buck rolled his eyes as he stood up, Eddie heading towards the stairs.

“Oh yeah, you’re better, there’s that loveable snark”

Buck grabbed Eddie’s waist from behind spinning him around to face him.

“Yeah I’m all better” He pressed his lips to Eddies as his hands settled on his lower back, Eddie deepening the kiss.

“If you say so, but if I get the flu you are the first person I blame”

Buck just laughed, swatting Eddie on the butt before heading into his bathroom to get ready.

They pulled up to the station together, the surprise on Bobbys face evident as Buck made his way into the firehouse.

“Buck if you’re not ready to be back here...”

“I’m fine Cap, I swear”

“Yeah Cap he seems like he’s better to me, but I told him if you want him to take the day he has to”

“Alright well, I hear one sneeze you’re going home”

“You wont”

“You sound mighty sure of yourself”

“I took my secret potion, I know it works”

“Secret Potion” Bobby smirked “Is that code for something?”

“Yeah what’s in it? Vitamin D” Chimney snickered as he walked into the kitchen, Eddie rolling his eyes.

“You laugh, but it works 100% of the time...ask Christopher”

“Oh that’s true, whatever you gave him took care of his cold like crazy quick” Eddie interjected.

**_iv._ **

It was less than a week after Bobby had sent Buck home for his cold that Hen and Buck forced him home to bed with threats to call his wife to come get him if he didn’t go willingly. Bobby arrived home to Athena waiting for him either way. She instructed him to go take a hot bath and change while she made some chicken noodle soup. After his bath Bobby made his way into the kitchen in his robe, soup ready and waiting for him at the kitchen table. He ate his soup quickly and retreated to the bedroom where he tried to sleep it off. He was awoken to hushed voices in the entryway, darkness had cloaked the house so he knew he must have been out for a while.

Buck had found himself at the Grant-Nash household soon after his shift at the 118 had ended, he stopped by his apartment to grab what he needed before heading over. He was greeted by Athena who ushered him in.

“How’s he doing?”

“Oh he’s okay, sleeping right now, but he ate and went to bed so hopefully he’ll feel a little better when he wakes up”

“Did he take anything yet?” Buck questioned, knowing how Bobby was.

“No, He doesn’t like to take anything too strong, you know?”

“I know, that’s why I bought him this” Buck said passing her the bottle in his hand.

“What’s that? Your secret potion?” Bobby said walking out of the bedroom, letting out a chuckle.

“Oh hey, sorry if I woke you, yeah it’s... I made some calls, its okay for you to take, there’s nothing too strong in it”

“Oh Buck, you’re sweet” Athena said hugging him

“Just, take half a dose for two days, instead of the full for one day”

“You’re sure” Bobby questioned, Buck could see the concern on his face.

“I’m sure Bobby”

Two days later Bobby walked into the firehouse and found Buck in the kitchen, pulling him in to a hug.

“Thanks Kid”

**_v._ **

“You look like shit” Eddie mused as Chimney poured himself another cup of coffee, his third of the morning.

“Well, Maddie has been sick for three days now so I haven’t been sleeping”

“Did you just say Maddie has been sick?!” Buck all but screams across the station.

“Yeah, just that cold or flu bug thats been going around”

“Ok, but thats...” Buck pulls out his phone dialling Maddie’s number “Maddie is like me, we don’t get sick...not for three days, not with a cold”

“What are you talking about Buck, everyone gets sick...”

Maddie answered on his third try.

“Buck, I was trying to sleep, what’s up” Maddie says, clearly sick, before sneezing.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick”

“Buck I have a cold, I’m not dying”

“But....you’re a Buckley”

“Yeah and?”

“Maddie come on”

“Ok fine, I haven’t spoken to dad in months and I refuse to ask him to send me any”

“Why wouldn’t you just ask me?”

“Because you haven’t spoken to Dad in years Evan”

“Yeah, but I have spoken to his assistant Maria”

“Of course you have”

“I’ll drop it by tonight”

“I can’t believe you”

“Bye, love you, feel better”

“Bye Buck”

Buck hung up the phone and noticed all of the eyes trained on him.

“What” Buck shrugged “for once my sister is the dumbass and not me”

**_vi._ **

It had been just over two months since their dad had died. They wanted to say they were sad, they would’ve liked to have felt something, anything. But they both had mostly just felt numb. The funeral had been sad, but mostly due to seeing everyone else mourn the loss of someone they had love and respect for. But Maddie and Evan, they had never felt that love or respect for their father, and their father never had shown it to them. He had always been shut off from them, always cold and disinterested but it magnified when neither of them were eager to take over the family business, Maddie felt it first, she got close with med school and becoming a nurse, but Buck, that had never been something he was interested in. He had always wanted to help people, but he was never a business man.  
It was a Thursday when their lawyer had called with news of their fathers will. It had taken a few months to process everything, with the sale of his company going through just days before his death. The siblings agreed to meet with the lawyer the next morning to go over all of the details. 

It had been about 7pm when Eddie and Christopher came stumbling through his apartment door, pizza in hand. Buck wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting at the kitchen counter, staring at the paper in front of him. He flipped the sheet and hugged Christopher before getting him settled in front of the TV and heading back to help Eddie in the kitchen. Eddie pulled him in pressing a kiss to his temple, noticing the distant look in his eye and the stress in his face.

“Hi” Eddie kissed him on the lips this time, turning his face towards him to look into his eyes.

“Hey” 

“What’s going on in that head of yours”

“Huh?”

“You’re not...somethings bothering you. Was it your meeting today?”

“I’m okay, yeah, it was just... a lot to take in you know?”

“I get it, I’ve been through it, it’s a lot of paperwork, so many forms”

“Yeah, but I’m mostly just excited to eat pizza with my favourite people and forget all about it”

They spent the night eating pizza and playing video games until it was time for Christopher to go to sleep, they settled him into Bucks bed like they had done many times before, then heading back downstairs to clean up the kitchen.

Eddie slid the paper on the counter towards him as he asked Buck where he should put it...his eyes grazing the number on it and going wide.

“Eddie...”

“Buck what is this??”

“My will payout....”

“Your what?”

“It’s a check. My share of my dads will”

“Buck...it’s five million dollars....”

“Billion”

“What”

“Billion, with a B, you missed a 0”

Eddies eyes went wide.

“Surprise” Buck forced a smile and walked towards the staircase. “You coming to bed”

“Uh....Yeah...are you...just gonna leave this on your kitchen counter?”

Buck shrugged and continued up the stairs as Eddie followed him shaking his head. They climbed into the bed on either side of Christopher, Eddie watching Buck as he cuddled into the small boy between them.

“So are you gonna ask me about it”

“What”

“Where it came from?”

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don't want to, its up to you babe”

“My dad...well, my grandfather started a company called Buckleys”

“Okay...what kind of company?”

“They specialize in cough and sinus medications, but they have a whole line of cold and flu products”

“Is that... your secret potion?”

“Ssh it’s secret” Buck laughed, nodding.

“Why have I never heard of them?”

“They mostly operate in Canada, where my grandparents were from”

“Oh...”

“My grandpa basically groomed my dad to take over for him when he retired, and he left the company to him when he died...my dad wanted Maddie or I to take it over from him, but we both refused, we didn't have a great relationship with him to begin with and working for him would have been even worse”

“That’s why you guys didn’t talk? Because you didn't want to run his company?”

“Yeah, that company was his life, so its kind of funny the moment he sold it he died”

“Ironic I suppose”

“Yeah, the fact it was pneumonia was truly the cherry on top”

“So like...what are you gonna do with all that money?”

“Honestly, not sure? Put it in the bank and forget about it?... no but seriously, might buy a house, a real house, with real bedrooms”

“Yeah? No more loft?”

“Yeah, nothing too crazy, just something big enough for the three of us”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah”

Eddie kissed the top of Bucks head as he pulled his boys close.

“That sounds perfect”

**Author's Note:**

> Buckleys is actually a Canadian cold and flu medication, and I was inspired by one of their commercials. This is absolutely not an ad...lol


End file.
